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  1. I’ve tried to work out if I agree with what you have written, but am unable. I meditated for an hour every day for thirty years, and in retrospect it was grim. Life has been wonderful in the eight years since I’ve stopped. Is that the result of having done the meditation, or having realized that it never suited me? Or perhaps I have changed it for a different kind of meditation: one based on fresh air, contemplating clouds and feeling unity with everyone.

    Laurence Freeman says meditate because time is so short. In contrast I would advocate not turning one’s senses inwards, not turning away from life while we are alive, because life is so short.

    It’s true that the mind is our worst enemy. But I can overcome it by accepting the superior wisdom of the body, my greatest friend, Nature incarnate. As a human animal accepting his own nature, I am brother to all, at peace with myself, subject to life’s pains and insecurities like every creature. Gautama freaked out at the sight of old age, disease and death, wanted to know how to transcend. I cannot understand that any more. I don’t want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in. I just want to be one with everyone else, accepting the fate of being mortal, sharing the suffering that comes from being incarnate.

    As I hinted above, I can’t tell to what extent all those years of meditation may have contributed to the way I see things now. I don’t think there’s a direct link, actually. But how can one tell?

  2. The website has become such a resource, Tom. Nice to see people are linking to it from over the ocean. It really is laid out nicely, and, for me, the bus wheel photo is a striking page anchor.

    Good efforts :)!

  3. Happily, I just discovered your beautiful blog through a WordPress “related links” feature that popped up automatically at my own blog on a recent post.

    “Why Meditate?” and some of the other posts I’ve glanced at really speak to my heart. Namaste! I’ve added your feed to my news reader and looking forward to your new posts and perusing your old ones.

    With all best wishes,
    Steve

  4. Thanks very much Katie. I would just like to say that I am absolutely not worthy of these comments (just ask my wife!). I am just trying to share what rings true with me, so in this sense, this is a rather selfish project! Thanks for your support.

  5. It is tremendous the coincidence (or divinity) in which you speak into my life. Just yesterday my husband and I uncovered some truths about ourselves while reading “The Psychology of Happiness” by Robert Elias Najemy (if you have not heard of Najemy I strongly suggest, to everyone, that you YouTube him and watch some of his video series and DEFINITELY pick up this book).

    Your blog resonates the same notions we discovered during our study of the book. It has brought me one step closer to that “place” of total peace and understanding for which we all yearn. I just wanted to thank you for helping to teach us, we simpletons, and sharing your wisdom in such an accessible format. The first few lines of the T.S. Eliot quote were entirely eye-opening, not to mention so filled with beauty. I quite probably would never have been exposed to it without your post. To me, such bits are invaluable and you insert them into all of your posts. I just love it!

    Thanks again. I increasingly look forward to your future posts!

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